NEMOPHILIST || ej.

【 X 】

The walk back to the cabin was an agonizing, cold trek through the snow.

Y/N’s steps were heavy, her legs numb and clumsy from the biting cold. Her sweatpants were soaked through, clinging to her skin uncomfortably with every step. She tried to keep moving, but the chill seeped into her bones, making her feel like she could collapse at any moment. Jack, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected. He strode ahead with purpose, his thin zip-up jacket barely holding the snow that melted on contact, unfazed by the freezing temperature. His indifference only added to her frustration.

The darkness of the night was oppressive, with only the pale glow of the moon cutting through the dense canopy of trees catching on the white snow. The forest felt endless, the shadows between the trees stretching out like a maze designed to trap her. The only sound that broke the silence was the crunch of snow beneath their feet. Every now and then, Y/N would glance up at Jack, hoping for some acknowledgment, but he never looked back. He kept his focus straight ahead, as if she wasn’t even there.

She couldn’t stop thinking about what Natalie and Toby had told her—about Slenderman, and how he had twisted and manipulated them, including Jack, into his service. She tried to imagine what they had all gone through, the suffering they must have endured, and it weighed heavily on her. Despite everything, a part of her felt a pang of sympathy for Jack. 

But that sympathy was tangled with her hatred. Jack had ripped her from her life, from her home, and worst of all, from her cat, Mufasa. The thought of her kitten alone, and dead, twisted her stomach with rage and sadness. Jack was a monster, plain and simple. He didn’t care about her or anyone else. Yet, there was a small, nagging curiosity within her—how had he ended up like this? Was he always this cold, this detached? She wondered if there was a way to break through his walls, to find out who he had been before Slenderman got to him. Maybe if she could get him to trust her, she could find a way to escape. But then, what would she do? Where could she even go?

This situation was so much bigger than she had ever imagined. What she thought was just a kidnapping had spiraled into something far more sinister—a network of supernatural beings controlling everything from the shadows. No one would believe her if she escaped. But she couldn’t just die here. It wasn’t just her life at stake; her father’s was in danger too.

After what felt like an eternity of trudging through the snow, the silhouette of the cabin finally came into view, dark and looming against the backdrop of the night. Y/N’s heart sank at the sight of it. Despite the physical relief of having reached shelter, the emotional weight of what awaited her inside made every step feel heavier than the last.

As they got closer, Y/N couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that hung over the place. The faint light peeking through the windows cast eerie shadows on the snow, making the cabin seem more like a trap than a refuge. She shivered, more from the dread curling in her gut than from the biting cold.

Jack reached the door first, pausing just long enough to glance back at her. His expression was unreadable beneath the mask, but she imagined his eyes were as cold and calculating as ever—like a predator sizing up its prey. Her stomach twisted, but she forced herself to keep moving. There was no turning back now.

When Jack pushed the door open, a wave of warmth rushed out to meet her. But instead of comfort, it only heightened her anxiety, like walking into the lion's den. The oppressive heat felt like it was closing in on her, reminding her that she was trapped—both by this place and by the man in front of her.